Treasure Hunt

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We previously reviewed another room from Mission Escapes; if you haven’t already done so, check out our write-up of Lunar Escape to get more information about the overall Mission Escapes experience. [Also, take note that Mission Escapes is the new company name for Escape Aurora.]

Treasure Hunt is set in a well-appointed office furnished with a beautiful curio cabinet, a wooden desk, and a large built-in bookcase. Framed artwork adorns the walls and an array of trinkets are spread around room. We felt like spies who had just snuck into someone’s private office! It was an exhilarating way to begin the game. We weren’t provided a specific narrative to support the Treasure Hunt experience and we hope a storyline will be added in the future. A backstory isn’t essential to gameplay, but we generally find an escape game to be more fun and immersive when we have an understanding of why we are there and what we are trying to accomplish. Left to our own devices, we spread out around the reasonably-sized space and searched for clues to aid in our escape. The soft lighting and traditional furnishings provided a fairly cohesive environment, but we never felt immersed in the set or narrative. The easy visibility and square layout are in contrast to the dark and oblong Lunar Escape room. This is a testament to the flexibility of the designer at Mission Escapes who has created fun environments in different shapes and sizes. Our group of five did not feel cramped in the space and there were enough areas and puzzles to keep us all involved.

We experienced a variety of puzzles during our escape that ranged from medium to fairly difficult. The brain teasers were different from each other and that meant that every member of our five person team found something that came naturally to them. It’s great to experience a room with this kind of variety; a happy team is one that builds off everyone’s strengths. Many of the solutions yielded a standard numeric code or a small key, which meant we had some frustrating overlap in operation possibilities. We would try the number combinations or keys in all of the locks around the room until something opened. Towards the end of our adventure we realized that there were clues that would have pointed us to the corresponding lock location in the room. Had we noticed that earlier we would have felt a more cohesive game flow. We had one unfortunate situation where a puzzle setup had not been reset from the previous group. The gamemaster quickly intervened and we distracted ourselves while he moved the pieces to their original positions. Unfortunately, we had already noted the solution, but we tried not to use it until the time was right. We’re sure this is a very uncommon situation and the staff handled it professionally.

The game materials were a mix of top quality production pieces and lower end knick-knacks. We enjoyed the decorative decisions and the items all felt like they were in the right place. As such, by the end of the escape we had a better understanding of the mysterious character who “works” in the office. Of note, there were a couple of unprotected screws on the wall, a statue that had been damaged by a previous guest and a desk drawer that came apart wen we opened it. These small missteps didn’t hurt our gaming experience, but they weakened the quality feel of the room. At one point in the game we were meant to find and read a hidden message, however the production fell short and we had to get some help to make out the words. The designer gets high marks for creativity, but in some cases it just didn’t come to life as well as he’d planned. The game is nearly there and we believe some small adjustments will yield a significant jump in room quality and presentation.

At one point in the game we came across an incredible, stunning reveal. We were having a good experience up until then and that put wide smiles on all of our faces. This happy energy sustained us through the rest of the game and we left Mission Escapes having had a fun time. We all would recommend this escape room to anyone looking for an evening activity in Denver. The staff is working hard to make sure everyone has a great time and with some improvements to the Immersion, Room Quality and Pre-Room experience this good escape room would become a great one.